Control Global

Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner Speak with Electrochemical Measurements Expert Jim Gray About the pH Electrode and Its Full Potential as a Measuring Tool

Stan: A measurement is only as good as its calibration. The pH electrode has by far the greatest sensitivity and rangeability of any measurement in the process industry. The electrode can function well in a wide spectrum of process fluids and…

This State of Technology Report is a compendium of the latest trends articles, back-to-basics tutorials, application stories and product solutions recently published in the pages of Control—compiled by the editors and all together here in one convenient eBook.

Despite ongoing advances in instrumentation technology, specifying a flowmeter or level gauge that will reliably perform over the anticipated range of process conditions often remains a complex and subtle engineering task.
Dozens of niche…

Process plants and related facilities such as tank farms are filled with vessels, tanks and similar storage units, and most of these units could benefit from a system to measure, monitor and view inventory on a near real-time basis. "Logistical…

Additional information and wireless connectivity are further improving productivity, reliability and efficiency.

Like other facilities that have been using the HART Communication Protocol for any amount of time, previous recipients of the HART Plant of the Year Award have been busy reaping even more of the benefits the technology provides. These benefits…

BLH Nobel Introduced a System That Quickly and Easily Checks Weighing Systems for Wiring and Mechanical Faults

Load cell weighing systems solve some of the knottiest problems in batch and level control by directly measuring masses of solids and liquids as they're accumulated, dispensed or conveyed. But the load cells must be installed and wired properly, and the load structure must be engineered and constructed correctly to distribute the measured load as axial forces on the cells. What appear on the surface to be simple wiring and construction tasks have caused more than a few problems during commissioning and maintenance due to miswired or poorly made connections, distorted or binding structures, incorrectly installed load cells or rigid connections to adjacent equipment.
Such problems often are not found until a new installation is being…

Recent

Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner Speak with Electrochemical Measurements Expert Jim Gray About the pH Electrode and Its Full Potential as a Measuring Tool

Stan: A measurement is only as good as its calibration. The pH electrode has by far the greatest sensitivity and rangeability of any measurement in the process industry. The electrode can function well in a wide spectrum of process fluids and…

This month, the editors of Control browse the web to get you the latest online resources on loop control. Here's how you can stay in the loop!

This System Is Closed
This is a basic tutorial on closed-loop control systems. It covers the basic definitions and descriptions of how closed-loop systems work, a discussion of closed-loop summing points and how to use them, transfer functions, multi-loop closed-loop systems and closed-loop motor control. The direct link is www.electronics-tutorials.ws/systems/closed-loop-system.html.Electronics Tutorials www.electronics-tutorials.ws
PID Control
VeriCal in-situ calibration verification This is a basic discussion, with illustrations, of the principles of Proportional, Integral, Derivative (PID) and how it is used with controllers. It also covers tuning rules and starting settingf for common control loops. The direct link is at…

Through the looking glass of emerging technologies.

How might we expect emerging technologies to play out in the world of process control? Successfully predicting the future is difficult at best, so we sought out and consulted with industry visionaries and long-term planners to see where there is…

A Frost & Sullivan report, "Programmable Logic Controllers Market," finds that the market earned revenues of $10.37 billion in 2013 and estimates this will reach $14.58 billion in 2018.

According to analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, the global PLC market, which witnessed a strong decline in growth in 2012 due to the uncertain economic scenario in the developed world, has bounced back. Since 2013, it has witnessed positive growth, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the rebound has been fueled by increased activity, especially in the construction, water and wastewater and power industries.
A Frost & Sullivan report, "Programmable Logic Controllers Market," finds that the market earned revenues of $10.37 billion in 2013 and estimates this will reach $14.58 billion in 2018.
In Europe, the need to enhance efficiency and comply with regulations, as well as improve safety and control capabilities, are driving…

Through the looking glass of emerging technologies.

How might we expect emerging technologies to play out in the world of process control? Successfully predicting the future is difficult at best, so we sought out and consulted with industry visionaries and long-term planners to see where there is…

Control Engineering Branches Out to Manage Critical Business Variables Such as Profitability, Risk, Asset Management and Cybersecurity

Most process engineers I talk to look back on the 1970s and 1980s as the heyday of control engineering, and in many ways it was. More engineers were focused on the applications of real-time control theory then than now. And when you look at how far…

The Latest in Computing Technology Is Here

VERSATILE AUTOMATION COMPUTERS These four new computers are designed for the challenging requirements of the machine automation industries. UNO-3073 and UNO-3073GL have Intel Celeron 1.1- MHz and 1.0-MHz processors; UNO-3083G and UNO-3085G have Intel Core i7 2.2- MHz processors. They have up to five PCI/PCIe expansion slots and support high-speed PCIe x16, x8, x4 and x1 cards and legacy PCI cards. Advantech Industrial Automation Group 800-205-7940www.advantech.com/ea
GAME-CHANGING PACs PACSystems RXi, a new control and computing platform, is designed for the needs of the industrial Internet. The core of the product family is a COM Express architecture with multi-core CPUs. Its configurations are unique in the industry, and able to…

Smart Drives, Mechatronics, Variable-Speed Drives and More Power Options

MEDIUM-VOLTAGE AC DRIVE MV1000 medium-voltage ac drives combine compact modular design, high efficiency and a good MTBF rate. Smart Harmonics technology reduces input total harmonic distortion to less than 2.5% without filters, which exceeds the requirements of IEEE519-1992. It also provides galvanic isolation between power input and output, and uses two 5-V step bridges per phase to generate a 17-level, line-to-line voltage output delivered to the motor. Yaskawa800-927-5292
VSD WITH SMARTSAltivar Process is a range of VSDs from 1 hp to 1,500 hp that come with embedded process knowledge, configurable on-board dashboards and a graphical HMI display. An advanced, secure, integrated web server lets operators access technical…

Since the goal is to control loop stability, the choice that gives you the best chance of that is the one to make.

Question:
Is there some general rule on when we should use =% (equal percentage) and when linear control valves? I know that the determining factor is the inherent flow characteristic, the flow vs. lift at constant pressure drop, or something like…

After six decades of developing on/off valve automation solutions, it might seem logical for Emerson Process Management to pause and take a well-deserved breather. But anyone who thinks that doesn't know how this company works. Just like the…

Smart Drives, Mechatronics, Variable-Speed Drives and More Power Options

MEDIUM-VOLTAGE AC DRIVE MV1000 medium-voltage ac drives combine compact modular design, high efficiency and a good MTBF rate. Smart Harmonics technology reduces input total harmonic distortion to less than 2.5% without filters, which exceeds the requirements of IEEE519-1992. It also provides galvanic isolation between power input and output, and uses two 5-V step bridges per phase to generate a 17-level, line-to-line voltage output delivered to the motor. Yaskawa800-927-5292
VSD WITH SMARTSAltivar Process is a range of VSDs from 1 hp to 1,500 hp that come with embedded process knowledge, configurable on-board dashboards and a graphical HMI display. An advanced, secure, integrated web server lets operators access technical…

Through the looking glass of emerging technologies.

How might we expect emerging technologies to play out in the world of process control? Successfully predicting the future is difficult at best, so we sought out and consulted with industry visionaries and long-term planners to see where there is…

Through the looking glass of emerging technologies.

How might we expect emerging technologies to play out in the world of process control? Successfully predicting the future is difficult at best, so we sought out and consulted with industry visionaries and long-term planners to see where there is…

Local automation pros can learn about key industry developments, gain development hours and upgrade their outdoor skills

Automation professionals in the Los Angeles area will be able to update their professional knowledge, explore key automation trends, receive professional development hours, meet leading industry experts—and improve their outdoor skills—when Siemens brings its Process Automation Tour to Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on March 26, 2015.
Session topics will include:
Industrial security for process automation, including a review of the standards (IEC 62443), organizations (NIST) and proper implementations of those standards
Alarm management, with a focus on meeting ISA-18.2, condition monitoring of critical assets and improving operator effectiveness
Process safety management update, including how to keep your system compliant…

The GX and GP Products Are the First of a New SmartDAC+ Product Family

Yokogawa has released the GX and GP Series of digital data acquisition systems, products that go far beyond functionality of the original paperless recorder. Complementing Yokogawa's DXA Advanced R4 series, the GX and GP bring some features that are…

Recent

Because Big Data is Really More of the Same Data, Engineers and Other End Users Find Ways to Take Advantage of New Sources of Intelligence

I'm sorry to be a downer at the start of a shiny New Year, but I'm continually reminded that most new and unfamiliar technical concepts are just more of the same old concepts. Big data is really more of the same data. The Internet of Things (IoT)…

Reader says "NERC CIP does not make the grid more secure or reliable."

In response to Joe Weiss' blog post of Jan. 19, I totally disagree about NERC CIP not making the grid more secure or reliable. Just a few reasons. I have seen where control systems were operated without malware and ultimately became infected. At…

Diagnosing a signaled instrument failure is tricky, time-consuming and usually is called for at a most inconvenient time, but better diagnostics are making the task easier.

Physical Layer Diagnostic Improvements
Why is it, after weeks of seemingly trouble-free plant operation, the phone rings on the holiday weekend when the goose is in the oven and the table is set for dinner? Fortunately for me, the crew on shift was…

A badly designed network is often the weakest link in the system.

IoT's Weakest Link
A common conversation among many industrial networking specialists these days revolves around whether we should be distinguishing between wired and wireless networks. WINA, of which I am chairman, is one organization taking a…

We are destined to have a multiplicity of protocols in our facilities.

Regarding, John Rezabek's February On the Bus column: I think we are destined to have a multiplicity of protocols in our facilities. Actuators and sensors will be at the level of the not-Internet of Things; Ethernet makes no sense there. But…

This white paper is the first in a series to outline a new epoch of industrial automation. All aspects of control system reliability, security and lifecycle cost have been rethought from first principles.

Open Secure Automation™ from Bedrock delivers new levels of ICS reliability, embedded security and unified automation performance at much lower life cycle costs. The mission starts with reinventing the backplane. Bedrock's Backplane Module Interconnect (BMI) is designed with an advanced architecture, industrial grade materials and passive fail-safe principles. With a new foundation, automation can be rebuilt. There is no other way.
This white paper is the first in a series to outline a new epoch of industrial automation. All aspects of control system reliability, security and lifecycle cost have been rethought from first principles.
Download the white paper titled "Revolution" and learn more.

Mobility's True Value Lies in Enabling New Possibilities

Rockwell Automation takes seriously the needs of its users to access information when on the go. For years now, they've offered the ability to send text or email notifications to mobile devices or replicate in-plant or desktop user interfaces on…

Reader says "NERC CIP does not make the grid more secure or reliable."

In response to Joe Weiss' blog post of Jan. 19, I totally disagree about NERC CIP not making the grid more secure or reliable. Just a few reasons. I have seen where control systems were operated without malware and ultimately became infected. At…

As project details take shape, look to collaborative platforms and decoupled hardware and software development paths to speed execution efforts

As early project visioning shifts into more detailed engineering, it's time to take a much closer look at how the latest automation technology and project execution methodologies can be brought to bear for project success. Key automation…

Local automation pros can learn about key industry developments, gain development hours and upgrade their outdoor skills

Automation professionals in the Los Angeles area will be able to update their professional knowledge, explore key automation trends, receive professional development hours, meet leading industry experts—and improve their outdoor skills—when Siemens brings its Process Automation Tour to Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on March 26, 2015.
Session topics will include:
Industrial security for process automation, including a review of the standards (IEC 62443), organizations (NIST) and proper implementations of those standards
Alarm management, with a focus on meeting ISA-18.2, condition monitoring of critical assets and improving operator effectiveness
Process safety management update, including how to keep your system compliant…

Coca-Cola and GE Lighting Use Proficy Workflow, Historian, iFix HMI SCADA and Portal Software to Streamline Lighting and Refreshment Production

Seeing is believing, and bringing operational information into the light makes it usable by everyone in an enterprise—allowing them all to make faster, more productive decisions.
This enhanced awareness was especially useful at GE Lighting,…

As project details take shape, look to collaborative platforms and decoupled hardware and software development paths to speed execution efforts

As early project visioning shifts into more detailed engineering, it's time to take a much closer look at how the latest automation technology and project execution methodologies can be brought to bear for project success. Key automation…

Find out what certification ABB Canada received and what B&B ELectronics' new name is.

ABB's operations in Canada have been certified by TÜV SÜD as having in place and applying a functional safety management system (FSMS) for the design and engineering of safety instrumented system (SIS) projects in accordance with industry good practice safety standards. These standards include IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 for the integration and implementation of safety instrumented systems. Networking technology provider B&B Electronics has changed its name to B+B SmartWorx. While continuing to develop mission-critical network connectivity technology for remote or demanding environments, B+B SmartWorx is expanding into the emerging Internet of Things market and embedding intelligence throughout the network connectivity stack from edge…

The Department of Homeland Security wants to help you prevent, respond to and recover from cyber attacks.

As we go to press, the U.S. Congress is threatening to suspend funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Some members are even calling for its dissolution. But assuming it's still around when you read this, you might consider enlisting…

What do 9/11, the Detroit Bomber and ICS Security Have in Common?

By Walt Boyes, Editor in Chief
In his "Unfettered" blog post, "What do 9/11, the Detroit Bomber and ICS Security Have in Common," Joe Weiss makes a really good point: The result of all governments' responses to the Dec. 25 incident on the approach…

Recent

Will Electronic Marshalling Mean the End of the "Bespoke" Enclosure?

Unlike clothing fashions, enclosure styles don't change a lot from year to year. A 40-year-old enclosure doesn't stand out like your dad's leisure suit. After all, a big metal box is pretty much a big metal box, even with the added glitz of…

Are You Ready to Re-Enter the Automation Job Pool and Compete with Other Professionals Just as Qualified as You? Here Are Things You Can Do to Stand Out from the Crowd

This article was printed in the CONTROL's March 2009 edition.

Nobody’s escaping today’s tough economy. Veterans and newbies alike are nervous about their jobs. Every day, multi-billion-dollar companies and small privately owned businesses make personnel cuts. Whether you’re working for a historic business icon or new kid on the block, it doesn’t matter. Now everyone’s job is at stake.

The U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January that manufacturing had 871 mass layoff events, resulting in 105,402 initial layoff claims in December 2008 (www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.t01.htm).Now more than ever, veteran automation professionals and youngsters just starting out are competing for the same jobs.

In July 2008, ISA reported layoffs of more than 35,000 workers in the auto industry, including related auto parts manufacturers. Business News reported that last September, Rockwell Automation froze hiring, shortened work weeks at various facilities, stopped salary raises for the year, and laid off 600 people. (Recently, word on the street is that Rockwell’s hiring freeze has thawed somewhat.)

In December 2008, Dow Chemical Corp. announced it would shut down 20 plants in the U.S. and Europe and lay off 5,000 employees. Meanwhile, the recent shutdown of the 90-year-old General Motors plant in Janesville, Wis., along with several nearby suppliers, created a loss of 4,000 jobs.

It wasn’t always this way.

In the not-so-distant past, the automation industry had low employment turnover rates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employee separations for manufacturing, meaning employee turnover resulting from all voluntary and involuntary employment terminations, has not fluctuated greatly over the years. From 2001 through 2006, the annual employee separation percentage changed by less than 3.5 percentage points from year to year. But that was then. This is now.

As an automation professional, what would you do if you lost your job tomorrow? Are you prepared to go back into the job pool? Are you ready to compete with other equally qualified professionals?

Qualifications and Job Skills

Are your qualifications and job skills the desirable ones? In today’s economy, cross training is essential, but knowing how to do multiple jobs isn’t even enough. Having the certifications to prove that you qualify to perform different jobs is key.

For the automation professional, the choice between obtaining a PE or CAP certification is complex. Both certifications have their virtues, and some believe that having both is an advantage. PE licenses are state-specific, and were established to ensure the safety of public works designs. PE certifications require automation professionals to obtain a formal education, such as a university engineering degree in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering. The ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP) designation is a relatively new certification program that helps define control systems professionals. The CAP is open to individuals with a four-year technical degree. While a PE certification concentrates on process controls, CAP targets a wider range of automation topics. Both licenses are intended for people working at the highest levels in their field.[Read more about these two programs in “PE Registration Versus ISA CAP Certification” by Paul Darnbrough, Control, October 2008.]

Re-Education Programs

The process industries rarely undergo technological changes. This lack of industry technology change has caused industry professionals to disregard the importance of cross-training and having multiple industry certifications. The necessary skills an automation professional needs to succeed in his or her job may not be as current as they could and should be as a result of this disregard. However, the current economic crisis and its massive industry layoffs have motivated individuals to pursue additional training, additional certifications and/or a higher education degree. Universities across the country are currently seeing an increase in enrollment numbers.

Queensborough Community College in Bayside, Calif., has increased its student enrollment by more than 12% this spring semester. Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, Calif., enrolled 18,000 students this spring as well. This is the first time in more than 30 years for Bakersfield College that enrollment numbers have reached that number.

“Projections of Education Statistics to 2011” from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, estimated the total college enrollment number to grow from 14.8 million students in 1999 to 17.7 million by 2011, an increase of 20%

A survey done in early 1990s by the American Council on Education, a Washington, D.C., association of 1,700 colleges and universities, shows that the quick growth in enrollment for two-year community institutions was due to the return of people to the workforce who wanted to strengthen their job skills.

ISA Certification Programs

• Certified Automation Professional (CAP) Program—This program prepares professionals for the direction, design and deployment of systems and equipment for manufacturing and control systems.

• ISA Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) Program—This program focuses on calibration, documentation, troubleshooting and repairing/replacing instrumentation for systems that measure and control level, temperature, pressure, flow and other process variables.

• Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanics (CIMM) Program—This program is for preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance. CIMMs are multi-skilled individuals who have primarily mechanical expertise rather than instrumentation or electrical backgrounds.

• ISA CAP Associate Recognition Program—The ISA CAP Associate program is a recognition program for students graduating with a four-year technical degree who are interested in an automation career.

• ISA CST Associate Recognition Program—This program recognizes your achievements and commitment to a career in automation and control.

• Control Systems Engineer (CSE) License—ISA supports the CSE license (a specialized Professional Engineering (PE) license recognized in the U.S.) for engineers in automation and control.

For more information on ISA’s different certification program offerings, visit www.ISA.org.

Build an Effective Resume

When was the last time you updated your resume? If the answer is 10 years ago, you have work to do. Your resume is what employers see first. This is your first impression, and first impressions can be opportunity breakers.

Building a resume takes time and effort. When you are ready to update your resume, remember the following helpful tips:

Keep it short. Don’t make your resume longer than one page because employers don’t have the time to read through too many pages.

Be concise, to the point, and always use action words to describe previous job responsibilities.

Be honest. Enhancing your past experience or listing qualifications that you don’t possess will only hurt you in the end.

Don’t forget to covert your paper resume to an electronic format. Today, the pre-screening for any job is done electronically.

Job Interview Do’s and Don’t’s

Do

Be yourself

Be on time

Have your career goals and qualifications in mind

Do your homework. Get to know the company before you arrive.

Provide specific examples of your accomplishments

Show your appreciation to the recruiter. Send thank you notes after the interview

Don’t

Dress inappropriately

Forget to sell yourself

Lie on your application or in the interview

Speak negatively about past jobs

Look desperate, even if you are

Leave your cell phone on

Networking

Remember the times when networking meant going to career fairs and industry events with your paper resumes and business cards in hand? Well networking today has a completely different meaning. Now, technology allows you to network on cyberspace.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn, Ecademy, Ryze or another professional networking account—or perhaps all of them—don’t wait one more day and open one.

What are these social networks and how do they work?

LinkedIn is an international network of 30 million professionals in 150+ industries and a business-oriented social network that keeps you in touch with industry colleagues and experts. It helps job seekers make contacts and enhance their careers through industry networking opportunities.

Ecademy is a business networking site with 150,000 members worldwide. This social network includes blog capabilities, marketplace listings, news feeds, events and mrore.

Ryze is another business networking site that hosts 250,000 members who are working towards making new business connections. Rize helps its members build up their careers, while helping them find jobs or make sales connections.

Don’t limit your cyber networking to just one site. Re-visit CareerBuilder, Hotjobs and Monster.com if you previously uploaded your resume to those sites. Don’t forget to update all personal information and revise your employment search preferences.

If you want an industry niche career source, join Control Connection at no cost. Control Connection connects our Control members with new employment opportunities. In this space employers and recruiters have access to our specialized niche where they can view resumes and post jobs. Job seekers can post anonymous resumes, view jobs and sign up to receive personal job alerts.

Job hunting can be stressful, especially in today’s economy. Embrace the economic crisis and take the time to evaluate your skills to prepare for a future career if needed and to use your networking skills.

If you are lucky enough to keep your current job, be prepared to work additional hours, take on additional responsibilities and learn technologies you haven’t worked with before. If you are laid off, keep a positive attitude.

Study the market, study your options and be prepared for the future. The current economic crisis will pass, and when does, you should be prepared to be even further ahead of your competition.

High Anxiety; Not Much Change. The Numbers In Our Survey Have Changed Little in the Last Year; the One Thing on the Rise Is the Anxiety Level, Making the Process Industries Typical of Manufacturing in General